French midfielder aims to make an impact with Leeds United

New Leeds United signing Granddi Ngoyi is looking to make an impact at the club and eager to get started straight away in the West Yorkshire derby at Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

The 26-year-old French defensive midfielder has arrived at Elland Road on loan from Palermo for the rest of the season and wants to go straight into the team.

He told the United website: “I’m happy to be here. I’m very happy to be joining a good group.

“I will do my best for this club. I’m happy because I didn’t play a lot of games in Palermo, I’m very happy.

“My role is to help the team. If the coach chooses to play me I will do my best for the team.

“I hope to show what I can do on Saturday.”

Ngoyi is the second Palermo player to head to Leeds this week, following defender Sol Bamba, and he hopes it will help him to settle that there will be someone else to call in while he gets used to life in England.

He added: “He will help me a lot because he knows English football and speaks very good English.

“Bamba is my brother, my big brother!”

Ngoyi is United’s second loan signing of the January transfer window. He is a former France under-21 international who started out at Paris Saint-Germain, making 31 appearances at the club.

He spent time at Clermont Foot, Brest and Nantes on loan before going on play 31 games for Troyes in the French League.

Ngoyi joined Palermo in 2013 and was promoted with them into Serie A last season, but he had been limited to just five appearances in the current campaign.

The deal bringing Ngoyi to Elland Road is subject to Football League approval.

Leeds are believed to also be on the verge of a third loan deal with Catania’s six foot, four Albanian striker Edgar Cani linked with a move to West Yorkshire.